1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
My House - Flo Rida The task at hand, however, is nothing but formidable: While neither FEMA nor the state provide figures on how many homes will need to be elevated, Scott puts the estimate at as many as 2 million buildings.
—
Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
In the second round, New York faced the formidable No. 2 seed Boston Celtics, a team many believed was primed for another title run.
—Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
There are a couple reasons that new grads find salary negotiations so formidable, says Janelle Sallenave, Chime’s chief spending officer.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 20 May 2025
Somehow, despite the formidable verticality of its elevator ride, Manhatta has become a viable date-night spot, or a place to grab (admittedly fancy) after-work drinks.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
In the second round, New York faced the formidable No. 2 seed Boston Celtics, a team many believed was primed for another title run.
—Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
There are a couple reasons that new grads find salary negotiations so formidable, says Janelle Sallenave, Chime’s chief spending officer.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 20 May 2025
Somehow, despite the formidable verticality of its elevator ride, Manhatta has become a viable date-night spot, or a place to grab (admittedly fancy) after-work drinks.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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May has been equally terrifying for Ukrainian civilians.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
27 May 2025
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As the mysterious contract killer Vincent, Cruise brings his usual on-screen qualities — strict professionalism, precise physicality, ruthless persistence — but turns them on their head to embody a terrifying, amoral murderer.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
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Shaving requires removing the end cap of a bat, which can be difficult to do, and shaving down or thinning out the inner wall of the barrel.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Major cities like New York were already facing frightening death tolls that climbed higher each day—but that’s not what Eddington is about.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
17 May 2025
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And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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However, this challenging situation also presents an opportunity for businesses.—
Kendra Davenport,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
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The new bill, advocates said, is also expected to be particularly challenging for Native Americans who rely on tribal cards for identification ‒ which typically don't include place of birth, as the new law requires.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Unlike Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, this world is more foreboding than scary, but as guests quickly learn from its can’t-miss attraction Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, monsters still shouldn’t be crossed.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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But Game 3 of the Western Conference final was a scary reminder that McDavid has another side to his offensive arsenal.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Being a careless jackass but also irresistibly charming is a tough needle to thread.—
Staff Author Published,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
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Now, the regime is going to have to make tough decisions on how to deal with its realities and its people, which is its responsibility.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Djokovic knew he’d be seeded to play one of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev or Taylor Fritz in the quarters, and in the end landed Zverev, which isn’t a terrible outcome, but would leave him with a possible Sinner-Alcaraz double bill in the semifinals and final to lift the trophy.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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One night the fish was very overcooked and covered with a terrible sauce.—
Sheah Rarback,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The Bee has a rigorous policy relating to requests for anonymity.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
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Hall, a former college football player, is quite the athlete and also gives fans a look into his rigorous workout regimen, which Khaled joined him for.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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